updated 04:05 pm EDT, Tue July 12, 2011

Samsung Windows Phone Mango device seen

Microsoft during its Worldwide Partners Conference keynote gave a glimpse at Samsung's first device using Windows Phone 7 Mango. The brief view (below) showed what's likely the i937, a close cousin of the i937. Officially, Microsoft's OEM VP Steve Guggenheim would only say it defined the "very thin and light" pattern of Mango phones, but a front camera appeared to be on show.

Firmware leaks have shown evidence of front camera support in Mango for at least still photos. Rumors persist of a video chat service, Chatter, that would serve as a rough parallel to Apple's FaceTime or Google Talk on Android. Reference have also been seen in Windows 8 and could allow for PC-to-phone chat.

A chance exists that the phone Guggenheim showed is the i8350. Samsung has had more than one WP7 phone on the market and has so far split it along regional lines, where North America gets the Focus and all other areas get the Omnia 7.

Devices from Acer, Fujitsu, and ZTE were also given brief previews but weren't given the special treatment of Samsung's handset.

Mango is due to ship in the fall and will most likely repeat the October or November schedules of last year. Microsoft has been pressing its hardware partners to have new phones out in time for the release and could have the i937, i8350, or both shipping along with the WP7 update. [viaWinRumors]